Brent Hins, a former guitarist and vocalist for heavy metal band Mastodon, passed away on Wednesday, August 20th in a motorcycle accident. He was 51 years old.
The group and Hind representatives confirmed the news on USA Today on Thursday, August 21st. In a social media statement, the rest of Mastodon said, “We are in a state of immeasurable sadness and sadness.
“We are heartbroken and shocked, and are trying to deal with this loss of creative power.
According to an Atlanta police memo first cited by Rolling Stone and Atlanta News, authorities responded to reports of the accident and found a man they had not yet officially identified as Hinds. He was later declared dead at the scene.
The man appeared to be riding his Harley-Davidson bike at the time of his death. USA Today contacted authorities for comment.
According to the memo, a preliminary investigation concluded that a woman driving a BMW SUV was unable to surrender when she turned left, causing a collision with the Hinds. The investigation is underway.
Hins was best known for his work with Mastodon, who he co-founded in 2000 with bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelly and drummer Blanc Deyler. After decades of success and a Grammy victory, Hins left the group this year, initially announcing the split in a heartfelt joint statement, but later claimed he was kicked out and blown up his former bandmate.
The Alabama native, Hinds originally played banjos, but later swapped for the electric guitar-heavy amp setup he liked later in his career. His vocals were lent to some of Mastodon’s intricate concept albums like “Leviathan” and “Emper of Sand” but were noisy and crude.
The heavy metal sound of the South Twins, accompanied by psychedelic album art, became a Mastodon calling card as it steadily gained popularity in the mid-2000s. Hinds was nominated for six Grammy Awards and won one victory in 2018 with his best metal performance in the group’s 2017 project, “Emper of Sand.”
“Our hearts lie with Brent’s family, friends and fans,” the band’s statement concluded. “At this point, please respect everyone’s privacy during these difficult times.”
